Everyone from Fairy Tail had gathered behind the guild hall, the warm glow of the setting sun painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, laughter, and murmurs from guild members who had clearly placed their bets on the upcoming sparring match.
Astro glanced down at the betting odds, frowning slightly. He froze. Five to one… in Natsu's favor? He looked himself over, checking his clothes and stance. "Do I… not look strong?" he muttered under his breath, a mix of disbelief and amusement in his tone.
Mira, standing beside him, finally lost her patience with his silent judgment. "It's because you're suppressing your magic level," she said with a small, exasperated sigh. "Everyone thinks you barely have any strength because of that."
Astro blinked, as if he had momentarily forgotten. Ah, right… I do that all the time. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I've been doing it for so long that it's just automatic now. Suppressing my magic helps me avoid unnecessary attention. I didn't have to worry before because I did not want to appear strong in any situation before."
Mira's eyes widened seeing him casually confirming it, she asked, curiosity coloring her tone. "If Master hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known you were doing this. Is this… part of your Sky Magic?"
Astro looked at her and saw the curiosity in her eyes and continued. "Kind of," he said, a small shrug accompanying his words. "I can also sense everyone's ethernano way better than most wizards—altough i do it in a different way, i measure the magic they consume and leak into the air. Everyone does it, consciously or not, and by measuring how much they consume and release, I can judge both their strength and control."
He glanced around, briefly focusing on Loke, and his expression grew contemplative. 'Although… there's one anomaly I saw recently.'
He tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes while looking at Loke who was unsurprisingly hugging two women at once in both sides.
' He isn't consuming any ethernano… every living being takes in some amount, whether they can use magic or not. The flow inside marks strength, and how much leaks out shows control. But him… it's like he's… not getting any ethernano in. But that shouldn't be logically possible, how is he even alive?'.
"So… what do I feel like?" Mira asked suddenly, curiosity tinged with caution in her voice.
Astro looked back at her, hesitating for a moment. He hadn't planned on bringing it up, but since she asked… he decided to speak honestly.
"It feels like… a lot of ethernano is trying to flow into your body," he said slowly. "But… you're resisting it all the time and not letting it enter for some reason. It's like you don't want to be a wizard."
Mira fell silent, her expression unreadable. Astro couldn't tell why she might not want to be a wizard, and he decided not to push. If it was some sort of problem with her body, he is sure Master Makarov with his status of a wizard saint would have managed to find a cure. So Astro is sure her body is fine but her spirit is not.
Everyone carries their own wounds and story, and some people aren't ready—or don't want—to accept help. Pushing her could only backfire.
"Alright, time for the match to start!" Master Makarov's voice rang out, breaking the moment.
Natsu was already in the arena, laughing loudly, his fiery energy practically radiating off him. The guild cheered wildly, clapping and shouting, filling the space with excitement.
Astro's gaze returned to Mira. He felt compelled to offer a small piece of advice, gentle yet honest. "Magic can heal visible wounds… but it can not heal someone's mind, even with Sky Magic. So I'll say this instead: it's okay not to want power. Everyone has their own reasons and motivations. But you should ask yourself every day what you truly want, so you don't stray from your goals and regret it later."
Mira didn't respond, but her eyes softened slightly. She looked down a bit thinking of something.
Astro didn't want to give any advice as it felt inappropriate to give it to someone you only recently met, but he couldn't bear to see this always-smiling girl show even a flicker of sadness. She reminded him of himself back in the hospital—lost, unsure why he was even alive, but still living because otherwise he knew his sister would be even more sad..
Shaking off the weight of the thought, Astro walked toward Natsu. He could feel Mira attempting, ever so slightly, to let ethernano into her body, but she pulled back after just a few seconds.
A small, reassuring smile crept onto Astro's lips. She's resisting… but she isn't giving up. That's enough for now.
With that, he focused on the arena, letting the energy of the crowd and the approaching fight take precedence over it for now.
"Now, let's see who will take the win! On one side, we have Natsu Dragneel, the famous Fire Dragon of Fairy Tail!"
"And on the other side," Makarov continued, "Astro Blackmist, the newest member of Fairy Tail, said to wield the mighty Sky Devil Slayer Magic!"
The crowd cheered, clapping and shouting, some waving banners, others slapping their friends on the back in excitement.
"Alright, Master, I'll take it from here," Erza's commanding voice cut through the noise. She stepped into the center of the arena, now dressed in a referee outfit that made her look both imposing and professional. "Both fighters get on the circle. Whoever steps out first will be the loser."
Astro blinked in surprise. She was wearing armor just a second ago… He shook his head, letting the thought go. He turned to Natsu, who was already bouncing on the balls of his feet, grinning ear to ear.
The two locked eyes, the energy between them crackling with anticipation.
"After I beat him, I'm challenging Erza next!" Natsu declared loudly, fire practically dancing on his fists.
"Go for it, Natsu!" Happy cheered, shouting in encouragement.
"Natsu's a real man, daring to challenge Erza," called a muscular white-haired man from the crowd, flexing proudly.
Astro glanced around, noting the overwhelming support for Natsu. He let out a small, amused sigh. Well… nobody's betting on me, huh?
Still, he shrugged mentally. Not bad. Beating Natsu would definitely boost my reputation in the guild anyway.
A faint sound caught his attention. Mira, quietly cheering in the back, had one hand raised high, giving him a small, encouraging wave. Astro's lips curved into a smile.
Turning back to Natsu, he spoke calmly, his tone like an older brother giving advice to a younger sibling. "You seem very sure you can beat me. Confidence isn't bad for a wizard, but overconfidence… can lead to some very undesirable outcomes."
Natsu's grin widened, ready to retort—but before he could, Erza's voice rang out.
"Are both sides ready?"
"Of course! I'm fired up!" Natsu shouted, smashing his flaming fists together. Sparks and small trails of fire leapt into the air, drawing cheers from the audience.
"Ready," Astro replied, a confident smile tugging at his lips as he adjusted his cloak's collar.
Erza raised her hand and, with a sharp gaze over both fighters, announced, "Start!"
The circle seemed to vibrate with tension. The crowd leaned forward, eyes wide, waiting for the first clash between the first battle between two slayers. First of many that are yet to come.
Unsurprisingly, Natsu didn't waste a moment and immediately charged forward, grinning wildly.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" he shouted, his fist engulfed in roaring flames as it slammed toward Astro.
The impact was massive—a huge explosion rocked the arena, sending fire and smoke billowing in every direction. The heat scorched the air, and everyone in the crowd ducked instinctively.
When the smoke cleared, the spectators' eyes went wide. Natsu was frozen in place, looking triumphant—but Astro…his head seemed gone completely, and purple smoke curled up from his neck.
"Natsu…you killed him!" one wizard screamed, stumbling back in shock.
"You should've gone easy, Natsu! Now you're going to jail for murder!" another yelled, panic in their voice.
"Executed… Natsu's going to be executed!" Happy wailed, tears already forming as he imagined Natsu tied up, and thrown into the river to be bait to catch large fish by council..
Even Natsu himself froze, staring at his fist and Astro's head, or lack of head. He kept looking disbelievingly between them.
But… three figures in the crowd didn't even flinch. Master Makarov, Mira, and Erza simply stared, eyebrows raised in mild surprise—but no panic could be seen in their eyes.
"Is… that the best you've got?" a calm, casual voice echoed from nowhere.
Natsu blinked, looking around. And then, in a blink, Astro's head reformed, stitching itself back together with a faint shimmer of purple energy. Within seconds, he was standing there completely fine, as if nothing had happened.
"I've got to say… your punch isn't bad," Astro commented, casually fixing his hair with one hand. "But still… I thought a dragon's punch would hit harder."
"What did you just say?!" Natsu roared, eyes blazing, fists already lighting up with fire again.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
Natsu launched a flurry of attacks, each one more desperate than the last. Flames streaked through the air as the ground trembled under the force of his blows. Each hit seemed like it should tear parts of Astro apart—but no matter where Natsu struck, Astro remained standing, almost bored, pieces of him reassembling instantly as if nothing had happened.
"Well… I think I've seen enough," Astro said finally, voice casual, almost teasing. "I can feel your potential… but you're not ready to fight at my level yet."
Little did he know that one line would haunt him. Natsu would never let it go, using it as a challenge to push himself and demand rematches for years to come.
For now, Astro, unaware , simply stepped forward, calm, collected, like a breeze approaching a storm. Natsu, seeing that brute force alone wasn't working, readied himself for another Iron Fist attack—but this time, Astro caught the fiery punch effortlessly with one hand.
Then, with his other hand, he coated the punch in swirling purple wind and countered, his fist connecting cleanly with Natsu's chin.
The result? Natsu shot up into the air like a rocket, as the crowd collectively gasped. Cheers and laughter erupted simultaneously, some in awe, others in disbelief.
Natsu wobbled in mid-air for a moment, his fiery aura flickering as he tried to regain focus. But it didn't take long. His dragon-born physique and instincts kicked in, steadying his mind and body.
Astro, standing calmly on the ground, glanced up. From the faint flow of ethernano he sensed in Natsu, he could tell the dragon slayer was preparing his strongest move yet.
"Let's see if you can handle a little more heat!" Natsu shouted, puffing out his chest and belly as his flames intensified.
Astro raised a single eyebrow, unfazed. So that's the big one, he thought, recognizing the immense power building in the attack. Not a joke about heat at all.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
A massive wave of fire surged toward Astro, roaring like a living inferno. The surrounding spectators immediately flinched, some stepping back instinctively to avoid being scorched. The temperature alone was enough to make the ground shimmer.
Astro's mind raced. His mind went back to the moment when Abel targeted the Lunaris city with a poison breath attack.. Back then, he had no choice but to endure the poisonous breath himself to save the city—and he had no intention to repeat that mistake. Although Natsu's attack would not really hurt the bystander that much, it could be good practice.
His eyes glowed purple, determination radiating from him as he lifted his right hand toward the incoming inferno. It's not perfect yet… but it'll do.
"Sky Devil's Magic: Gale Rebound," he whispered, a faint but large purple magic circle materializing in front of his palm.
In an instant, the firewave was coated in swirling purple wind. Just as it was about to engulf him, Astro flicked his wrist, guiding the flames coated with purple wind upward and redirecting them back toward Natsu.
Natsu froze mid-air, confusion flickering across his face as his own attack barreled toward him. He clenched his teeth, realizing what was happening. The heat didn't hurt, but the humiliation was real—nothing stung a dragon slayer more than being struck by their own magic.
Astro watched, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. He didn't divert the attack anywhere else. He of course knew how humiliating it would be for a slayer magic user to get hit by their own magic. It is like being hit by your own vomit.
Natsu's fiery eyes blazed with rage as he plummeted toward the ground.
"Why did you—" he started, but his words were cut short. A sudden gust of purple wind whooshed past him, propelling him upward for just a fraction of a second, and before he could even process what was happening, he caught a whiff of Astro right above him.
He looked up—and froze. A boot, was descending straight for his face.
"Wait—!"
Too late. Astro didn't hesitate. With a precise, downward kick, he slammed Natsu into the ground. The impact sent a circular shockwave radiating outward, cracking the earth around Natsu, embedding him firmly in the center.
Pain surged through every inch of Natsu's body from the high-speed collision, and before he could even catch his breath, Astro landed gracefully beside him. With ease, he scooped Natsu up by the neck like he weighed nothing more than a ragdoll.
Astro's eyes locked onto Natsu's, and this time, his tone was different. Gone was the casual, almost teasing cadence he usually carried. Now it was low, cold, and chilling—the kind of voice that fairy tail wizards have not heard from him before. .
"Sky Devil's Rage."
A torrent of purple wind erupted from Astro's mouth, a breath attack far larger and more concentrated than anything Natsu had unleashed. The sheer force of it surged toward Natsu's head, shaking the very air. The breath attack went by Natsu's head and continued upwards to the sky. The surrounding crowd instinctively staggered back, still shocked from the sheer amount of power displayed by Astro right now.
Happy's eyes welled up again. "N-Natsu… he's… dead!" he squeaked, trembling as dust and purple gusts enveloped the arena. All that was visible in the swirling storm were two glowing purple eyes before they faded.
But as the dust settled, the crowd blinked in disbelief. Natsu's head—and body—were intact. Astro hadn't even targeted Natsu's face directly; instead, he had channeled the full force past his head, a display of sheer precision. Natsu lay unconscious, completely overwhelmed by the power, but unharmed beyond what was necessary.
Astro put Natsu on his feet before effortlessly lifting Natsu over his shoulder, carrying him with an almost casual grace before gently tossing him outside the circle.
"The winner is… Astro Blackmist!" Erza's voice rang through the guild hall, authoritative and clear.
A wave of cheers erupted from the gathered wizards, though some still stared in awe at the display of overwhelming power. What surprised Astro most was that no one was afraid of him despite the sheer destruction and intimidation.